Martin Compston has urged Scots to back the SNP to keep Nigel Farage's "toxic politics out of Scotland" as he accused Scottish Labour of wanting to do a deal with Reform. The Line Of Duty star has backed John Swinney as First Minister and called for people to "unite behind" his party.
The pair will campaign for the SNP in Inverclyde on Friday, the home of both Compston and Lord Malcolm Offord, the leader of Reform UK Scotland. Speaking ahead of his visit, Compston accused Mr Farage of seeking to shrink Scotland's budget and its Parliament, and claimed the Reform leader would privatise the NHS "if he got half the chance".
Along with the First Minister, the Scottish actor claimed Labour wants to work with Reform after the election. Lord Offord, along with other senior figures in Reform UK Scotland, have accused Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar of approaching them and offering to work with them to kick out the SNP after the election. Labour has denied this and accused Lord Offord of lying.
Mr Swinney, who will visit Greenock Morton Football Club, said it is the SNP that offers Scots an alternative to Reform, which is currently battling Scottish Labour for second place in the polls. The SNP leader said: "I am absolutely clear – I will have nothing to do with Nigel Farage, his man in Scotland Lord Offord or Reform UK."
Scottish Labour said it is disappointed in Compston. A party spokesperson said: "The fact that the SNP are peddling the lies of Reform demonstrates just how far they have fallen." Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said it is "dishonest" for the First Minister to say he would have nothing to do with Reform "when the SNP are ploughing money behind a Lord Offord advert promoting his lies about Anas Sarwar".
